The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-12-02
A SNAKE DANCE.
A GRoTEsoUE CEREMONY OF
ARIZONA INDIANS.
A Festival Celebrated Once Every
Two Years : Indians Dancing
With Writing Snakes in
Their Hands and Mouths.

A letter to the Apaehe County Critic
from the Moqui villages OF Arizona gives
the following description of snake
dance:
This ceremony is celebrated only once
every two years, and it takes sixteen
days to prepare for it, the first eight days
being observed by the high priests and
leaders in getting together the various
articles used in the dance, and in the
preparation OF the infusion which is
drank by those who are TO take part,
that the fumes of the serpents or even
their bite may not prove injurious to any
one. 1t is the preparation of this drink
that is the profound secret of the order,
and it is known TO but four living be-
ings at the same time
The remaining eight days are devoted
to hunting snakes of all kinds, handling
and washing them, or, rather, "subdu-
ing their vicious habits as the Moaui
puts it, This washing is more of a
shower bath, and is accomplished by
putting the snakes into large stone jars;
then pouring the water over them. This,
of course, chills the serpents-puts them
leaves them comparatively helpless. They
are then taken out of the Jars, rolled in
sand until dry, and then replaced in the
vessels, where, covered as they are with
a tanned buckskin, neither light nor
breeze can get at them TO disturb their
quietness. Usually from half to third
are fullgrown rattlesnakes, and the idea
of the removal of the fangs is altogether
erroneous.
The evening before the dance proper a
preliminary one was held, but, as no
snakes were handled, it was of no real
importance. After singing a song of
several verses, in the archaic, the mem
bers returned to their quarters Next
day, however, the programme was more
elaborate. A large cottonwood shade
or wicki-up-was erected upon the
western edge of the dance-space, close to
the line of the houses, into which Just
before the hour of commencing the ex-
ercises the snakes, inclosed in sacks of
various sizes, were placed, with the
mouths of the sacks securely tied, that
none might escape, After the placing of
the snakes in this bower, large cotton
wood board, which was securely fastened
to the ground Immediately in front of the
doorway, in the shade, was brushed
clean and splinked with meal mixed
with corn pollen. This, was told, was
to dispel all evil influences from harming
the dancers.
When this act of seeming devotion was
finished, attention was drawn to the
furthermost part of the village, where
arose mingled sounds of rattles, shells
and other tinkling ornaments. This was
the signal for the coming up from the
estufas and on to the arena, of the men
who, dancing the next hour, would take
into their hands and mouths specimens
of the most repulsiye of natures handi-
work, the creeping, Shiny, terror bearing
snake, with its little glistening black
eyes, bearing vengeful spite in every
sparkle and lightning flash of its
tongue.
The participants were composed of two
bodies of men, thirty-six of whom
danced with snakes, and smaller num-
Der who formed chorus of singing men.
wi -" latter were the first TO come upon
A-ossed in bright